In 2007, Mum's symptoms of dementia first became very noticeable in the form of unusual behaviour such as barricading doors, tying up gates with handkerchiefs, calling the police all the time to imagined intruders and obsessing over her two cats. But even years before that, she'd made bad judgments with money, selling her house to a conwoman for $100,000 less than it was worth and wasting money on employing tradesmen to carry out unnecessary work. She only became seriously forgetful in 2010.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Ned's having some sunrise

Mum says some cute things at times. The dog was lying in the sun yesterday and she said, "Ned's having some sunrise."

And later when Ned was sitting at her feet, "Ned's purring at me with his purrs." I didn't know dogs had purrs but come to think of it, maybe they do.

I took her to the geriatrician yesterday. She can still fake the psychological test. Do you feel sad? No. Are you happy with where you live? Yes. Do you ever think life isn't worthwhile? Never.

He needed her to undress so he could examine her. I told him she could neither dress nor undress. "Yes I can!" she interjected. And she did. So why is it when I want to shower her she can't even help me undress her?

Oh.

The pains in the chest and stomach are probably gastric reflux, so he's written a prescription for that. The elevated iron levels often happen in the elderly and can be due to an infection.

I took her to the optometrist the other day to get her ingrown eyelashes removed before they gouge into her eyes and cause infection and scarring. She wouldn't let him anywhere near her. It was awful. He managed to get two of thirty or more out.

I asked the geriatrician what to do. He said we should give her oxycodone before the appointment. Good idea.

I'd thought of trying hippie lettuce but that sounds even better. But I guess I'll be carrying her in and out. Reminds me of Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies.

Yesterday she had no trouble getting her seatbelt on and off and opening the car door. It's funny how it comes and goes. She even remembered I have a student from Kathmandu living in the granny flat and asked me where he was today.

She's back on the antipsychotics. They just couldn't manage her without chemical restraint. She grabs other residents who are unwell and tries to drag them with her as she obsessively paces the halls.

What a way to finish up. In jail having committed no crime. It isn't fair.

Hello, I have just found your blog (searching for others with a parent who has AD). I live down south from Adelaide in Millicent.

My Mum (84) has AD and has been in a nursing home for 12 months now. Her progression seems to be rapid. She could read a magazine in December but can't now and even TV seems to confuse her. She cant operate the remote and continually turns off the tv at the wall then wonders why it wont power up! The radio never works because she twiddles the knob daily.She is still mobile but is becoming increasingly feeble and slow. She feeds herself with a fork or spoon but not knife and fork, she's forgotten how. Her appetite appears to be good still. She currently is confusing day and night. We had lunch with her today (me and my 4 sisters) and she thought it was nearly evening. She excused herself after an hour, saying we were all too noisy! When we visit in the afternoons, we often find her tucked up in bed at 3-4pm. When awoken, she believes its morning - but we have to tell her that she hasn't had her evening meal yet...She also believes that they take the residents 'out' for dinner most nights, 'out bush'! Her room is about 30 steps from the dining room where meals are served at 8am, 12 noon and 5pm.She also had had a 'thief' who steals things but we have found items wrapped in socks, inside pillowcases, inside boxes. When we find them, she says the thief put them there. She is on several medications and we are not sure how they interact with each other but the nursing staff tell us that she is very stable - not distressed or anxious - so the dosage seems good to them.She has 'bowel trouble' in which she thinks she's constipated but really she has forgotten when she last went to the toilet. They say this is very common. They have checked her out numerous times and after an enema, she still complained of constipation when then just couldn't have been anything there to poop.

I guess you've been through most of this too? The hallucinations and pulling stories out of the air has us all wondering what she will think up next.We are very grateful that she is in a wonderful home with caring staff. Its a spotlessly clean facility and certainly doesn't smell like an old folks home.

Over coming days, I will read back over your blog. I hope this finds you and your Mum well.

I am sorry for the late reply. How is your mother getting on now? Everything you mention above, my mother has also been through. Please check out the Alzheimers Reading Room below - there is so much help and advice there. http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/